Path to Enlightenment - Part Two
by Lillian
Summary: Quarterstaffs at dawn and a battle by the sea as Angel's summer team comes into its own!


Disclaimer: Author does not claim ownership of the characters or plot development mentioned from/of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" or "Angel" These belong to Joss Whedon, 20th Century Fox, and ect. All other characters you don't recognize and plot fluff are mine.  
  
ANGEL'S APARTMENT - TRAINING - Sunrise  
  
Even though last night's patrol was quite, being up this early was killing Xander's reflex humor defenses. "The sun is not even up yet," Xander complained, "aren't you supposed to be sleeping in a coffin or something?"   
  
Angel came at Xander full swing with the quarterstaff. A straight blow down the center. Xander, surprising himself, blocked the hit more on accident than skill.   
  
"Aha take that!" he cried out feeling victorious in the moment.  
  
Angel swung low sweeping Xander's feet out from under him. "Hey, I'm on your side!" Xander shouted as he tucked and rolled out of Angel's path to avoid another direct hit. "Is this about the Deadboy thing?" Xander asked regaining his ground.  
  
Blocking hits from side to side now, Angel did not answer as he continued to push Xander back against the wall. Xander took a moment to notice that while he was panting and trying not to listen to the cry of pain from his own body, Angel had yet to break a sweat. Not fair!  
  
"Xander, concentrate!" Angel said. He knew Xander would never take his new calling in life seriously. Xander never took anything seriously. Angel was going to have to scare the skill of a Watcher into Xander, even if it took a lifetime, which was one gift he could offer.  
  
"Well…maybe we could…come up…with a name…we both like…for you," Xander said in between ducking and rolling out of Angel's maneuvers.   
  
"Broodboy?" Xander offered with a vertical block.   
  
"No!"  
  
"Vampboy?"   
  
"No!"  
  
Xander maneuvered another failed attempt to knock Angel off his feet. "I heard Cordy suggest…Dark Avenger."   
  
"Vetoed," Angel replied.   
  
Xander's humor was a skill Angel had rarely seen in all of his days of battle. Humor tended to throw off one's opponent if handled properly. Or it would just piss them off, making them more determined to bury you six feet under. Either way, Angel was impressed at Xander's ability to adapt quickly to all fighting styles, giving him the advantage in predicting the next hit.   
  
Angel swung his quarterstaff around and behind his waist as he took a few steps back from Xander. Xander was not going to be distracted by the grace Angel displayed in wielding his weapon. He turned his back to Angel blocking a swing to his left side and then to his right.   
  
"How about Batboy?" Xander offered as he turned back to face his opponent…and was answered by a jab to the stomach. He fell to his knees as he gasped for air against the pain. Will I ever get used to this?  
  
"That was harsh…Deadboy," Xander said.   
  
Angel could see Xander had the same fire and determination as the rest of the mortals that fought against evil. Fight another battle, live another day or was it the other way around?  
  
  
JORDAN'S MANOR - Noon  
  
"Your paintings are fabulous," Cordelia said walking out to the pool where Jordan had left her painting of the ocean and the pine tree in the sky. "What were you trying to express with the tree?"  
  
"It's okay Cordelia. You don't have to like my artwork. You, Xander, Angel and Wesley are always welcome here," Jordan said.   
  
"Oh good…because all this painting is doing is making me depressed," Cordelia said.   
  
"Depressed?" Jordan asked.   
  
"Yeah, last week I had to throw out our last office plant. I forgot to water it for about a month. We were…busy," Cordelia said as she sank down into the lounge chair by the pool. The last time she had water the plant was the day Doyle had died.  
  
"Do you think plants go to heaven when they die? And if they do, do you think mine will put in a bad word about me and I'll be sent to plant hell or something?" Cordelia asked with a small hint of guilt in her voice.  
  
"I'm sure it was just that plants time to go Cordelia," Jordan said.   
  
"So, are your visions painful too?" Cordelia asked.   
  
"They used to be," Jordan answered as she too took a seat in a lounge chair near the pool. "Now it's like my mind goes numb and I lose control of my arms and legs. That's how I ended up with the tree in the sky. I was going to fix it later, but it's grown on me. I think I'll keep it there…to remind me to water the plants" Jordan teased.  
  
  
WESLEY'S APARTMENT - Rush hour  
  
"It's not much, but you will have your own room," Wesley said switching on the light in the guestroom.   
  
"Are you kidding me, I feel like a king already," Xander exclaimed as he set his bag on the bed near the window.   
  
Xander felt awkward staying with Wesley. In Sunnydale during high school, Xander must have wished a thousand and one times for Wesley's demise. He had made goo-goo eyes at his Cordy. But after thinking about the other options, Xander knew he would rather stay with a host he didn't have to worry about getting up in the middle of the night…looking for a snack.  
  
Besides, a proper English gentleman beat out a chatty ex-girlfriend who loved to rub his nose in her success anytime.   
  
"You might want to rest, we patrol at sunset," Wesley informed Xander.  
  
  
ANGEL'S APARTMENT - 8:04 PM  
  
Angel raced from the shower to answer the phone hoping it wasn't Cordelia with another lame I-don't-have-anything-to-wear-on-patrol-tonight excuse. "Angel Investigation, we help the helpless."  
  
"Angel, its Jordan. Had a vision, and I'm going to need your help. Can you meet me down at the docks, pier 19 in an hour?"   
  
"Sure, weapons?"   
  
"Yes," Jordan replied, "stakes, swords - whatever you got. I think you might want to bring everyone for this one."  
  
"It's a date," Angel said and the other line went dead.   
  
"It's a date?" Angel said out loud as he placed the phone back on the receiver. Xander's lameness is wearing off on me already.  
  
  
DOCKS - PIER 19 - 9:00 PM  
  
Jordan explained to Angel's small army he had gathered that they were on a path-clearing mission only and she was going to handle the rest. The ship was to arrive any minute carrying on board a large demon that was better to be killed before it was awakened by the ancient rituals.   
  
"Okay, I assume the ship will be carrying only 25 to 30 vampires and this demon-in-a-box," Jordan began.   
  
"Only 25 to 30 she says! Piece of cake," Gunn said.  
  
"Wesley, Gunn, Angel I want you to plow the path. I will follow close behind taking out whatever gets in my way. Xander and Cordelia I need you to bring up the rear to make sure we don't get trapped between fangs and more fangs, got it!"  
  
"What kind of demon is in the crate?" Wesley asked.   
  
"Serpent-type," Jordan answered. She pulled a long sword from under her leather jacket. "This is the only thing that can kill it."   
  
"How many weapons are you going to pull out of that jacket?" Xander asked, impressed once again by Jordan's choice of weapon.  
  
"We wait for them to dock and I'll give the signal," Jordan said. All of them took their place and waited for her signal. Off in the distance, a large shadow cut through the water preparing to deliver its precious cargo.  
  
As the ship docked, several vampires surveyed the area for any signs of trouble. When they were satisfied that the coast was clear, they loaded the crate onto the pulley system to unload it. A group of vamps lowered the gangplank to the dock. Ten of them, Jordan counted, walked down the plank as the crate swung over head and began its labored motions to be lowered down to the pier.  
  
The crate came to a screeching halt in midair as Jordan gave the signal to advance. Gunn shot off three bolts from his crossbow before the vampires on the dock knew what was going on and dusted three. Angel decided personal contact when dusting fellow vamps was more gratifying as he stormed towards the seven still standing on the pier.   
  
With a swung of his sword, Angel beheaded two vampires at one time, surprising the one rushing behind with a stake that shot out from a mechanism strapped to Angel's wrist. Xander and Wesley each got a bolt and a stake to the remaining vamps as they reached the gangplank. Jordan was behind Angel as she signaled the arrival of the vamp varsity team. "This demon must be pretty important to be packing all the big guns," Angel shouted back to Jordan.  
  
"Keep them busy," Jordan said as she jumped from the gangplank into the water.   
  
"Where's she going?" Angel heard Cordelia scream. Angel was busy with two vampires on his back when he noticed the largest vamp walk down the gangplank meeting Gunn at the halfway mark. With one hit, Gunn was sent flying into the water where Jordan had disappeared.   
  
Xander stepped in front of Cordelia as the big bastard approached and Xander only smiled. "You better prepare yourself for a world of hurt my man," Xander said lifting one leg into the crane position he remembered from the movie Karate Kid.  
  
The vampire laughed at him and then his smile faded as he turned to dust. "Thank you Wesley," Cordelia said walking past her karate hero. Angel helped Gunn out of the water as the rest of the gang joined them at the base of the gangplank.  
  
"Where's Jordan?" Gunn asked.   
  
"Ladies and gentlemen, for my last magic act tonight," Jordan said as she slid down from the chains that were holding the crate in midair, "I will attempt to cut this demon in half with this enchanted sword." Jordan held up the sword as if she was Vanna White and whatever was in the box began to move in protest.  
  
Jordan plunged the sword into the crate and the demon within screamed wildly in pain. A purplish slime began to leak from the crate as the demon had been liquefied in death.   
  
"Oops, I hope he has a good medical plan in hell!" Jordan joked. She tossed the sword down to Angel and then did a swan dive off the crate landing on her feet on the pier below.   
  
"Are you sure your not a Slayer-In-Waiting," Xander asked Jordan. She smiled and turned to Angel.   
  
"I trust you have a safe place for this," Jordan said nodding towards the sword in his hands. "I'd like you to keep it. You may need it down the road. Nice moves back there, Gunn. Glad you're on our side." And with that she walked away from the group into the dark of the night.  
  
As Jordan walked away and his small army gathered their weapons to do the same, Angel wondered if Jordan was more than she was letting on.  
  
  
ROOFTOP - ABANDONED WAREHOUSE ACROSS FROM DOCKS   
  
"Well, well, well. Now I understand why W&H called for our services," Holly hissed. "Angel's playing for the other team and he needs to be punished."  
  
"What's with the humans helping him?" Zachary asked as he watched them all climb into Angel's convertible and drive away from the docks.   
  
"There is something different about one of them," Holly said. "A seer? Well this just keeps getting more interesting by the minute. New plan," Holly said as she pushed away from the ledge, "I'm going to play damsel in distress and hope that Soulboy falls for it."  
  
"Why would he do that?" Zachary asked following Holly.   
  
"Get me a newbie, I'll worry about the rest," Holly commanded.   
END PART TWO  



End file.
